THE PASSENGER Starring: Kyle Gallner, Johnny Berchtold, and Liza Weil Director: Carter Smith KATIE The Passenger immediately intrigued and unsettled me with its chilling opening scene, establishing a sense of unease and tension that never subsides. This gripping and strangely intimate thriller features amazing performances by Johnny Berchtold (Randy) and Kyle Gallner (Benson, his shotgun-wielding co-worker). The pair have an unlikely chemistry, and their relationship is multi-faceted and almost moving, to the point that, despite Randy’s flaws and Benson’s violent outbursts, I was still rooting for them. The plot is simple yet effective, creating space for Gallner’s incredibly powerful and nuanced performance, which allows the relationship to be the beating heart of the film. QUENTIN Though not incredibly original…seriously, it’s like someone said, “what if we remade A Perfect World with a few slight tweaks?…The Passenger remains surprisingly effective for such a simple, under-the-radar suspense movie. Kyle Gallner once again crushes a performance that will come and go without much fanfare, while well-trodden themes of trauma and its long-lasting impact are well-explored from multiple angles. It’s admittedly a very short list, but this is easily the best original movie released by MGM+ so far, and it shows that the relatively new streamer could have some potential in the small-scale film game. PAIGE With no expectations going in, The Passenger is a lean, mean, and gory machine. This Blumhouse-produced film is a slow-burn thriller turned therapy session that is an insane and wild ride from start to finish. It’s mainly a two-man show that is carried by the superb acting from its two leads, Johnny Berchtold and Kyle Gallner, the latter of which keeps delivering stellar performance after stellar performance. The thing is, though… there’s no real climax to the story to leave you completely satisfied. NICK Following up his impressive turn in What Comes Around (which I had the pleasure of seeing at TIFF last year under the title Roost ), Kyle Gallner once again steals The Passenger with a magnetic performance. Whether he’s inconspicuously lurking in the background or standing front-and-center, my focus was on his character. That's not a knock on co-star Johnny Berchtold either, who also has a solid showing. It’s the story where the hiccups come. What starts as an intriguing character study becomes too ambiguous for its own good, and its lack of answers ends things on a sour note. It's good, but these performances deserved great.

MOTOR CITY Starring: Alan Ritchson, Shailene Woodley, Pablo Schreiber, Ben Foster, Lionel Boyce, Ben McKenzie, Amar Chadha-Patel Director: Potsy Ponciroli AMARÚ I’m not going to go say I disliked Motor City , but the big swings it takes don’t always land. There are some great action sequences, including in one location that is quickly becoming a genre staple (you’ll know it when you see it), but the minimal dialogue lends itself to too many slow-motion dramatics that drag the pacing down to lethargic levels. Instead of a cohesive film, it was multiple scenes stitched together, some that dragged and some that rocked, but not at all the intense ball of energy it could have been. NICK Sure, there are some highlights, good music, and it oozes machismo, but Motor City is a misfire. Though certainly ambitious, the aspect of telling a film practically devoid of dialogue may be its weakest point, as it quickly turns into a gimmick that hurts far more than it helps. It’s as if specific shots and set-pieces were thought of, and then the creative team decided to build a story around that. Like a two-hour highlight reel. This may work for a much shorter film, but at its runtime, Motor City feels like a film that was made out of only its own trailers. This film was reviewed by Nick and Amarú as part of Bitesize Breakdown's coverage of the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival .

DREAM SCENARIO Starring: Nicolas Cage, Julianne Nicholson, Tim Meadows, Dylan Baker, Kate Berlant, Dylan Gelula, and Michael Cera Director: Kristoffer Borgli NICK Whatever you want to call this phase of Nicolas Cage’s career, it is by far the most interesting. With films like Mandy , Pig , The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent , and Renfield , he's been running the genre gamut. His latest, Dream Scenario , is a surreal comedy where everyone constantly dreams about Cage's Paul Matthews. As the phenomenon goes on, Cage is able to carry both the humour and horror elements, but the gag can become a little repetitive. As much as I enjoyed the film, there’s been a nagging “what if?” for alternate directions to take things, a thought that haunts me whenever I close my eyes. ADRIANO Now, I'm not saying I don't dream about Nicolas Cage on a regular basis, but Dream Scenario takes that idea to new extremes. Cage puts a new spin on his holds-nothing-back persona for more laid-back chaos in a film that's wildly funny yet thought-provoking. Its commentary on cancel culture offers mixed results, but its stance on the current state of fame hits hard. The absurdism of the plot is very entertaining, but by the third act, it wears a little thin. Still, Dream Scenario is fun and poignant, and who doesn't love some Cage mayhem? QUENTIN Dream Scenario is half absurdist comedy and half surreal horror, which gives Nic Cage multiple opportunities to show his impressive range…and show it he does. He nails what is asked of him on both sides of the coin, carrying a story that delivers timely messages on the consequences of fame and cancel culture (even if it struggles to adequately fill the entire 100-minute runtime). More interestingly, though, Scenario is an incredibly layered metaphor for the Memeification of Cage, touching on the idea in a more intelligent and cerebral way than The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent . Overall, another winner that furthers Cage’s current hot streak. KATIE Dream Scenario is somehow everything I wanted it to be and more than I bargained for. Its nightmare logic, dark satire, and focus on a character who is the victim of his impotence reminded me of Beau is Afraid and Adaptation , mixed with the surreal horror of Midsommar and Men . Continuing a trend of impressive performances in indie genre films, Nicolas Cage is perfect as the boring professor, bringing an unruly combination of painful awkwardness, pitiful innocence, and undeserved entitlement. It’s funny, genuinely unsettling, and ambitious in its approach to themes of cancel culture and the nature of social media fame. CALEB Dream Scenario is hilariously uncomfortable, featuring some of the most excruciatingly awkward scenes of the year. It’s definitely funny, but it gets surprisingly tragic at times. If you’re expecting a quirky comedy, you might find it a little too dour for your liking. However, I appreciated the script’s emotional maturity. Director Kristoffer Borgli presents a nuanced study of stardom and the detrimental effects it can have on one’s self-perception, highlighting how fame can shine a harsh light on someone’s worst attributes. With creative visuals, a razor sharp script, and an outstanding Nicolas Cage performance, Dream Scenario stands out as one of 2023’s finest comedies. PRESTON Dream Scenario is an allegorical look at society as a whole that is so successful that it’s easy to feel depressed regarding our own current “scenario.” I, regrettably, exacerbated the issue by heading directly to Costco at its conclusion, which solidified my position as a cynical curmudgeon. Nicolas Cage is fantastic, and the more I watch him, the more I feel he is one of the most self-aware actors in the game. I will never watch Dream Scenario again, but only because it's near impossible to revisit due to how effectively it delivers its message. This film was reviewed by Adriano, Nick, and Quentin as part of Bitesize Breakdown's coverage of the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival and the 2023 Zurich Film Festival, respectively.

MOTHER MARY Starring: Anne Hathaway, Michaela Coel, and Hunter Schafer Director: David Lowery NICK Despite marketing stating the opposite, Mother Mary is both a love story and a ghost story, and I can't say either worked. Although the film aims to put the viewer under a trance, it didn't achieve that for me. Instead, it presents a moderately interesting character drama between a terrific Michaela Coel and a game Anne Hathaway, only to devolve into the aforementioned ghost story, which was much less interesting and, honestly, a little corny. The one clear highlight here is the music, and perhaps that trance could have been achieved if I got more of it. ADRIANO While watching Mother Mary , I was captivated by writer/director David Lowery’s surreal vision to the point of transcendence. Whether it’s the chamber drama first act or the poppy, ghost story back half, the filmmaking on display put me in an outright trance. The music and the performances from Michaela Coel and Anne Hathaway add to that feeling. But once the trance was over, the movie began to feel hollow, as Lowery’s characters and messaging amounted to little more than what was on the surface. I’ll see it again for sure, but Mother Mary doesn’t amount to much beyond a sensory experience.

THE LOST DAUGHTER Starring: Olivia Colman, Dakota Johnson, Jessie Buckley, Paul Mescal, Ed Harris, Jack Farthing, Dagmara Dominczyk, Peter Sarsgaard, Oliver Jackson-Cohen Director: Maggie Gyllenhaal ADRIANO The Lost Daughter is a total mixed bag. On one hand, it’s a compellingly written examination of motherhood that features great performances from Olivia Colman and especially Jessie Buckley. On the other hand, Maggie Gyllenhaal’s direction is very messy, the editing is choppy, and the cinematography is super weak. It just took way too long for me to realize what this movie was, and the final ten minutes feel like a completely different movie altogether. There are so many moments that amount to nothing. This isn’t a bad movie, but there are just too many glaring issues. JACOB The Lost Daughter may not possess the masterful storytelling restraint of some other 2021 debuts, but it shows tremendous promise for Maggie Gyllenhaal in the director’s chair. Challenging material such as this teeters on a knife’s edge between being overbearing or too off-kilter to connect with an audience, but Gyllenhaal manages to straddle that line admirably, eliciting tremendous performances out of Olivia Colman and Jessie Buckley. Films about parenthood generally prefer to have an optimistic view on the task despite its burdens; this is the rare instance where the cynicism towards it is not only understood, but absent of judgment.

GODZILLA X KONG: THE NEW EMPIRE Starring: Rebecca Hall, Brian Tyree Henry, Dan Stevens, Kaylee Hottle, Alex Ferns, and Fala Chen Director: Adam Wingard CALEB I mean this as both a compliment and a critique, but Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire is the cinematic equivalent of a little kid smashing action figures together. It’s two hours of fan-service with bright colors and big monsters performing wrestling moves on each-other. If that sounds appealing, then you’re probably a kaiju shill like me…and if you are a kaiju shill like me, then you’ll probably love this. As far as the cinematography, writing, and action goes, this is a noticeable downgrade from Godzilla vs. Kong , but it’s still an entertaining addition to the MonsterVerse. AMARÚ While Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire is very silly, it’s a fun time. Director Adam Wingard knows the MonsterVerse’s strengths, and he delivers action-packed Kaiju battles featuring the most interesting Titan of them all, Kong (who is 100% an old black man). The humans are there, with Bryan Tyree Henry being ridiculous in not the best ways, Dan Stevens being ridiculous in all the best ways, and Rebecca Hall and Kaylee Hottle’s relationship providing a small bit of emotion. But again, Kong is the reason to watch these films, and if he comes back to ride again with Godzilla, I’ll be back too. ADRIANO I'm just so unbelievably tired of movies like Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire . Films that suck the life out of what made the IP so beloved and iconic in exchange for an MCU-style slopfest and exposition machine. Now, you might be saying, "it's not that serious, I just want to see Godzilla and King Kong team up and fight." You don't get that for a full 90 minutes, and whatever kaiju stuff happens is too cartoonish and toothless to be entertaining. I want this style of blockbuster to go away so badly. QUENTIN Finally, they get it! Godzilla x Kong is exactly what I’ve been asking for with the MonsterVerse entries, in that it’s mostly a movie about giant monster fights with a small human story instead of the other way around. That said, is it good? Absolutely fucking not. It’s dumb as hell, but it’s fun as hell too. It doesn’t matter that none of it makes a lick of sense becau…wait, is Godzilla sleeping like a cat in the Roman Colosseum? Sold. As big turn-your-brain-off franchises go, this one has surpassed and supplanted the Fast franchise as the best one going. Give me more.

THE TRAGEDY OF MACBETH Starring: Denzel Washington, Frances McDormand, Kathryn Hunter, Corey Hawkins, Brendan Gleeson, Harry Melling, Bertie Carvel, Moses Ingram, and Ralph Ineson Director: Joel Coen ADRIANO It rarely gets as good as The Tragedy Of Macbeth , as director Joel Coen’s Shakespeare adaptation is a soaring technical marvel. Every single department is firing on all cylinders, from the sound work to Carter Burwell’s score to Bruno Delbonnel’s stunning cinematography. When it comes to the performances, Frances McDormand never fails to deliver, but Denzel Washington is ferocious and mesmerizing as Lord Macbeth (Kathryn Hunters also is a stand out). Sadly, the film leans hard into the Shakespearean dialogue, so if you’re not in tune with the Old World way of speaking, this may not be for you. JACOB There aren’t many new elements that separate director Joel Coen’s The Tragedy of Macbeth from other straightforward adaptations of Shakespeare’s work, but for fans of the source material, it is as rich as candy. The cinematography by Bruno Delbonnel is amongst the most stunning 2021 has to offer, simultaneously emblematic of both traditional theater and film, and the performances it captures only elevate its power. Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand turn in typically world-class work, but it’s Kathryn Hunter’s take on the witches that gets under one’s skin, along with the stellar score and indissoluble sound design. I loved it.

BARBARIAN Starring: Georgina Campbell, Bill Skarsgård, and Justin Long Director: Zack Cregger QUENTIN As a person who has a high bar for horror, Barbarian is one of the best horror films I’ve seen in several years. Admitting that I knew very little going in, it continually kept me in suspense, especially as it subverted many of my expectations, while boasting jump scares, creepy suspense, and palpable tension. The actors, while good, aren’t asked to do too much, as the movie mostly succeeds solely on its direction, writing, and score. It’s a genuine breath of fresh air for the genre, which, if you ask me, is pretty much anything that isn’t another sequel or spinoff of The Conjuring . JACOB Barbarian – sure to be dubbed by many as this year’s Malignant – is a wild ride. Although its start is a bit rough, it eventually settles into a pace more befitting its story…then abruptly turns the dial so you have no idea where it’s all meant to be heading until what the film is trying to say comes sharply into focus. The one thing I wish the film did better is commit to the ending it clearly wants to have, but still, anything that somehow blends Ti West, Terrence Malick, and Don’t Breathe… and still comes out this coherent…deserves praise.

ROBOT DREAMS Starring: Ivan Labanda Director: Pablo Berger ADRIANO There is something to admire about the simple existence of Robot Dreams . An animated movie about the friendship between a robot and a dog that is told entirely with no dialogue feels like a relic of the past, and yet here it is. The animation is colourful and enticing throughout, while the themes of loneliness and the human desire to reach out make for an endearing watch. Unfortunately, while the movie feels like a short film stretched to feature length due to increasingly repetitive subplots that could have easily been removed, the final scene alone makes the experience worth it. AMARÚ Robot Dreams more than deserved the Oscar nomination it received at this year’s ceremony. Even more than five months after I initially saw it, the emotions it evokes from a dog and a robot still lowkey haunt me to this day. Not a scary or saddening haunting, but more of a bittersweet acceptance. With almost no dialogue, director Pablo Berger deftly utilizes music (shout out to Earth, Wind, and Fire), ambient noise, facial expressions, and anthropomorphic sounds to relay deeply felt themes of companionship, lost love, and new life that universally resonate. It’s a triumph of the heart and soul. This film was reviewed by Adriano as part of Bitesize Breakdown's coverage of the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival.

DAYDREAMERS Starring: Tran Ngoc Vang, Thuan Nguyen, Chi Pu, and Trinh Thao Director: Timothy Linh Bui KATIE Daydreamers is a refreshingly bold, stylish take on the vampire genre. It uses the loneliness and angst of vampirism to explore the protagonist Nhat’s (Trang Ngoc Vang) struggle to find a sense of belonging and freedom, blending rural aesthetics with the urban neon-lit city. The CGI effects are the film's weakest aspect, but that doesn’t overshadow the stylish cinematography, vibrant colours, gorgeous lighting, and fantastic performances. At times, it almost looks like a pastiche of 1960s technicolour melodrama. I don’t think I’ve seen any Vietnamese films, but Daydreamers has inspired me to seek them out. NICK Although Daydreamers isn’t going to be the vampire film people are most talking about this month, it’s not without its charms. The biggest charm being the vibrancy of the dynamic colour palette, which really gives the film a style that stands out. Besides its appearance, however, there’s just not much here. The effects are subpar while the story (though conceptually interesting) struggles to stay engaging. The latter especially is a shame because it's a take on vampires we haven’t really seen before. Unfortunately, the poor story structure, as well as the dialogue heavy subtitles, hindered my ability to fully get sucked into this world.

Y2K Starring: Jaeden Martell, Julian Dennison, Rachel Zegler, and Alicia Silverstone Director: Kyle Mooney ADRIANO As a fan of writer/director Kyle Mooney's humour and his first film, Brigsby Bear , I am sad to say that his second directorial outing, Y2K , is a disaster. It starts simple enough, and it got some chuckles, even some laughs, out of me because of its absurdism; however, a lot of the direction and pacing are awkward. Plus, in the second half of the movie, many of the character beats set up are abandoned and, despite a genuinely funny cameo, the chuckles disappear as the film becomes totally incoherent. I don't think even the "it's just fun" crowd can defend Y2K . PAIGE Y2K is one of those turn-your-brain-off movies, and even though it's incredibly foolish, it's a ridiculously fun time. While the movie sacrifices some of its storyline for punchlines, it delivers the laughs it wants to achieve. Meanwhile, the soundtrack is awesome, the kills are inventive, and the ensemble is good. For someone who grew up in the 1990s, Y2K does a great job of capturing the nostalgia from that era, whether it be through chatting on AIM, burning CDs, or carrying pagers. This absurd movie is for you if you enjoy director Kyle Mooney's sense of humor.

DARKEST MIRIAM Starring: Britt Lower, Tom Mercier, Sook-Yin Lee, and Jean Yoon Director: Naomi Jaye This film has been reviewed by Paige and Quentin as part of Bitesize Breakdown's coverage of the 2024 Fantasia International Film Festival. PAIGE Through layers of enigmatic depression and alienation, the quietly reflective film Darkest Miriam aims to depict intangible human emotions and experiences. Though it wants to explore such themes, it seems to be running on autopilot since it doesn't know where to go or even what to do with its premise despite moments of a poetic quality coupled with delicate performances. I really couldn't connect with or care for this movie as nothing really significant occurred throughout it. All in all, this is a hollow movie without any depth. QUENTIN Have you ever seen a movie that is such a nothingburger you don’t know what to say when asked, “is it good?” Darkest Miriam is that type of bland; the kind that fails to incite any real response one way or the other. I just don’t know, man. It exists, I guess. The characters never do anything worthy of your investment, but the performances aren’t bad. The story never really goes anywhere either, so why are we here? Then, it just ends with a close-up on an empty chair, which ironically, is probably how Miriam will play out in theaters – ending with empty seats.